


All are Welcome. Mostly.

by Grey_Wind_Wolf



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Avengers - Freeform, Blood and Violence, Bows & Arrows, Depression, Developing Relationship, Emotions, Erik has Issues, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Family, Hurt Erik Lehnsherr, Hurt Steve Rogers, Knives, Lies, Lost Bucky Barnes, M/M, Memory Loss, Mental Breakdown, Mental Instability, Military Backstory, Minor Violence, Missions, Mutant Powers, Mutants, Original Character(s), Past Torture, Past Violence, Physical Disability, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Erik Lehnsherr, Technology, Trust Issues, Weapons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29015304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grey_Wind_Wolf/pseuds/Grey_Wind_Wolf
Summary: Steve Rogers has been having trouble adjusting after he found out Bucky was alive and was saved by him. After months of looking and not finding anything, Natasha confronts Steve and forces him to go and see someone, that she says will be able to help him. Not wanting to go at first, Steve refuses until Natasha recruits Clint and together they convince him to go, so Steve goes quietly without telling anyone. Charles Xavier may normally only help mutants that come to him for help, is asked to help Steve calm down and think rationally. Charles is happy to help and welcomes Steve, but not all those who live on the schools grounds are immediately welcoming.
Relationships: Bobby Drake/Rogue, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Kudos: 11





	1. We all need a little help sometimes

**Author's Note:**

> This does not take place at a certain time really, just some point after Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and there are characters from various X-Men films. (In this story, Charles and Erik are played by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, and Warren Worthington III is the Ben Hardy version, Angel from X-Men: Apocalypse.)

Steve POV  
Natasha won’t back off and it is wearing me down slowly, but that might be her plan since it does make sense and fits with her background of sabotage and talent for reading people. We all know that Bucky, my best friend and basically my brother, is still alive and was turned into a weapon for Hydra and used in who knows how many murders for so long. But he is alive, Hydra for the time being is not active, and Bucky saved me from drowning which means there is still some part of him in there and it just needs to be found and brought back up. The problem is, I have to find physical Bucky first, and he has not made it easy with no trace of where he might have gone or where he has been staying. He was trained to be a very skilled assassin, so it makes sense that I haven’t been able to find him, but that doesn’t make it any easier on me especially since S.H.I.E.L.D. also hasn’t been able to find him. Or they just don't really care about finding him. Either way, he is a ghost and its been messing with me for some time now. I haven’t been able to sleep much, I haven’t taken any time to be around friends or take care of myself, and Natasha has talked to me several times now about needing to take some time to figure out what’s going on and to take care of myself. Take some time off she says, travel around, meet new people, find someone I can talk to, someone who can help me deal with all that is going on in my head. 

She told me about this friend that she has, Raven, and that friend knows someone that could help me, someone that has a way with figuring out what the problem is and sorting out all that is going on in your head. She didn’t tell me much about him, told me he is a private person and likes to keep mostly hidden to protect himself and the ones that he looks after, but she did tell me he is a mutant. Not really sure how I felt about that, but I know that it doesn’t really bother me since I am enhanced because of a science experiment. Because of that experiment, I wouldn’t really call myself completely human anymore since there is no human that can match me in strength, speed or endurance. Maybe there are mutants who could, but they wouldn’t really be called humans since they have enhanced abilities like I do or changes to their physical body, skin color could be different or they could be bigger or smaller than an average human. I don't know too much about mutants, but I know they mostly keep to themselves and don't start trouble. 

I still didn’t want to go, and then Natasha brought Clint into it and the two of them together were able to convince and somewhat force me to go. Natasha cleared it with her friend and the man that they know, and I have an appointment and an extended stay at a school that he runs for the gifted. I'm guessing that it is a school for mutants, where they can live safely and learn to control their abilities away from the public or any governments agencies that might try to make them work for them. Or just a place for them to grow and learn while not having to worry about being different from all those in the world around them, where they can gain control and confidence, make friends and be part of a community. 

Sitting at the front gate of what seems to be a massive estate, I'm suddenly doubting myself and my decision not to tell anyone other than Clint, Natasha, and Fury what I was going to be doing for who knows how long. And I'm not even sure if any of them than Natasha actually know where it is I am going. It might have been smart to let Stark know I was going somewhere, but knowing him he would press me to know where and what I was going to be doing there and why he wasn’t welcome there like I was. Stark might also be one of the reasons that this Professor Xavier keeps the existence and location of his school a closely guarded secret. Tony isn’t known for his ability to keep secrets, and he mainly thinks about himself at times and what he thinks is best for the world and to him, he is always right. 

I don't have any time to second-guess myself now since the gate is opening for me so I begin to drive up the long driveway, the sound of the gate closing behind me almost drowned out by the motor of my motorcycle. It isn’t long before I see the impressive and honestly massive older looking stone house that serves as the boarding school, and as I get closer I see the man waiting out front for me.

He is well built and tall, probably over 6 foot, an unlit cigar in the corner of his mouth that he seems to be chewing on as I park my motorcycle and get off carefully. Riding for a longer time always leaves you feeling a bit weird and unsteady in the legs. I grab my small duffle bag off the back of the bike and make my way over to the man who hasn’t moved, but was checking out my bike as I was getting off and shaking out my legs. 

“You Steve Rogers?” The man asks somewhat gruffly and he has some kind of accent, but I can't place what it is, and I'm not really sure how old he is either. Definitely in his thirties, maybe forties, but I really can't tell for sure, he looks like he is in shape and a could be older or younger than he seems to be, like me. I know I look a lot younger than I technically am, but people have told me that someones eyes never lie about their age and this mans eyes definitely make me think he is a lot older than he looks to be. 

“Yes I am, I hope I'm not early or late, I made the best time I could. It wasn’t a short ride and I had to stop a few times to make sure I wouldn’t fall asleep while driving.” I answer quickly when I realize I was staring at him in silence for a few moments and he seems a little amused but otherwise doesn’t smile.

The man looks at my bike again before looking back to me and I'm not really sure what he thinks of me. “Don't worry, the Professors waiting for you and all the kids should be in class and won’t bother us in the hallways, so I'll bring you to the Professor so you can meet him and talk now while you won’t be disturbed. I'm Logan.” He says before turning around and heading inside the school with me following close behind him. 

“I don't want to be rude or pry Logan, but I am curious and can't help it. Are you a mutant? And do you teach a class or something here?” Logan lets out what I think is a laugh and continues walking, not even looking back at me when he answers. 

“Yeah I'm a mutant, and no I'm not really a teacher here but I do help keep the kids safe and make sure they are following the rules. I guess you could call me a member of campus security.” Now he does look back at me and stops walking for a moment as if to make sure I understand what he says next. He looks a lot more serious now than he did before. “I'm only going to say this once. You’re here because the Professor is going to try to help you with something that’s your business, and while you aren’t a mutant, you’re not completely human either because of that serum they used on you. Either way, you cause trouble here or do something to hurt one of the kids or the Professor, you and I will have a problem bub. And you don't want to have a problem with me no matter what you can do because of that serum.”

I raise my hands slightly in a gesture of peace and surrender, Logan just looking at me for a bit longer before turning around again and resumes leading me towards some unknown room of the building. There are a lot of doors that we pass, and all of them are closed but I can hear voices behind all them and a lot of them sound like kids. This school must have a lot of students living and studying here, of all ages too if the things scattered in the hallway near the classroom doors or what look to be lockers. We head towards the end of one of the halls and stop in front of a dark wooden door that Logan knocks on quite hard.

After a moment Logan turns his head slightly like he is listening to something before he opens the door and stands aside for me to go in. I look at him for a moment, wondering why he isn’t going to go in with me especially after his warning about what would happen if I hurt any of the students or the Professor, but after a second he raises his eyebrows at me and I go in. The door is closed behind me and I turn to look forward and see a younger looking man sitting at a dark wooden desk. 

“Hello Mr. Rogers, please do come in and have a seat.” He says, a distinct British accent making him sound more welcoming to go with his warm smile as he gestures to the two chairs across from him. I move forward and sink into one of the chairs and find that it is actually pretty comfortable and I begin to relax immediately. 

“I hope that I didn’t keep you waiting.” I start but he is immediately waving his hand to dismiss my apologies. 

“No no it is quite alright Mr. Rogers, you do not need to worry about the time it took you to get here or if there was other things for me to do. I am the headmaster of a boarding school for gifted children of all ages, there is always other things for me to do but it can all be passed on to others to handle or put off till later for me to deal with. I am Professor Charles Xavier, But you can simply call me Charles if that is best for you. After all, you are here for me to help.” He seems like a really polite person and also very friendly as well and I feel myself relaxing more and letting my guard down, all that has happened in the past months and the sleepless nights starting to make itself known to me. I shake my head slightly and force myself to focus and stay awake and in the present.

“Well if I'm going to call you Charles then please call me Steve, Mr. Rogers makes me feel like I'm an old man or like I'm at some formal event that I just want to get out of. Doesn’t really fit who I am.” I reply and pinch my leg in a fight to stay awake and the sharp pain in my leg form the pinch seems to have been the right thing to do. 

Charles smiles and nods his head. “Yes of course. Now I know that you know a little about who I am and what this school is, Natasha must have told you a little about me before you agreed to come here. So, I hope that you understand why I want this place to remain a secret and that while you are here, you have to follow the rules as everyone does.”

I nod in agreement and feel the need to reassure him. He has been nothing but polite and friendly and I do not want to be seen as some kind of threat to him or the children that he care about and looks after here. “Yes I know that, and I am fine with that since I do understand why you want to protect these children from anyone that might want to use or harm them. Logan also told me that he is part of the campus security and that if I caused any trouble then he and I would have a problem.”

Charles chuckles and shakes his head as he smiles. “Yes, that does sound like him, he can be protective of the people here, but he is not the one that you need to worry about. Not really, unless you do something wrong or put us at risk. Logan can be easy going for the most part and once he trusts you he is a friendly person, as long as you don't make him angry or try to hurt someone he cares about. There is another who lives here however, that can be a lot more protective and will not hesitate to do whatever he thinks is needed to keep all of us here safe. He will not attack you without reason, but if he thinks you are a threat to someone he will act instantly before getting an explanations, and if it comes to saving someone he knows or you, he will let you die every time. You will meet him while you are here, but I am going to talk with him about you before you meet, to try and make sure he is respectful and his version of friendly towards you.” As he is speaking he becomes more serious, and I can tell that he is warning me about what would happen just like Logan was. Somehow though, Charles telling me that Logan was not the one I really needed to be wary of has scared me somewhat. 

“I promise you I don't want to cause any problems. I'm just here because Natasha told me about this place and about you, and said that you should be able to help me. She basically forced me to come here, and I'm already glad that she did make me come here to you for some help.” I try to sound calm as I am speaking, and I see Charles listen to what I am saying before he begins to smile which lights up his face.

“Yes well, I know that Natasha is quite like Raven, and therefore she will normally end up getting her way, a very good trait for someone to have especially with her current occupation and her quite unique skillset of course. Well, you will meet others later but right now you must be tired from your drive here especially since you came on that motorcycle. Logan was admiring your bike of course, his unfortunately have not always lasted very long one way or another. Come, I will show you to the room we have gotten ready for you while you are staying here with us, it is in the hall where the other teacher or staff live. The children naturally, will be curious about you, so I thought it best to give you a room you could go to if they ever became too much at a time. They all know not to go into the teachers hall unless it is some sort of emergency, and to be honest with you I believe some of them, the younger ones for sure, will stay away from those rooms because they are a little frightened for whatever reason.”

Charles is smiling and I can't help but smile in response and stand up slowly, grabbing my bags and turning back to face Charles who has made his way around to my side of the desk. That's when I see that he is in a wheelchair and I suddenly understand a good deal better why Logan had seemed so ready to rip me apart if I did anything to hurt or threaten Charles. Part of it must be because Logan obviously respects and trust the man, but the other part is because Charles must be paralyzed. He is suck in a wheelchair, so to some degree he would be an easier target if things got violent and dangerous, even with some mutation to help him defend himself from whatever happens. 

We head towards the door, me walking behind Charles but I move forward quickly to open the door so he can get through easily and he nods to me in thanks with a smile that lights up his face. Once we get out of the office and I've closed the door, I turn back around and am slightly shocked to see Logan standing there leaning against the wall where he obviously was waiting for us to get out. Part of me is glad to see the man even if I only met him a few minutes ago and barely know a thing about him, but the other part of me feels nervous. Obviously he didn’t trust me enough to not be close by in case I for some reason decided that I was going to try and harm Charles or any of the students. 

“Why are you telling him that he doesn’t really need to worry about me Professor? I know that I have a bit more of a code when compared to who you were talking about, but I'm not the cuddliest person here. Don't want Steve thinking he can just run around doing whatever he feels like doing and no ones gonna stop him from doing it.” Logan says with a slight smirk and Charles shakes his head as I realize I don't know how he could have known what we said unless he could hear us. 

“Logan, you know why I said that, but let us not discuss this right now, Steve has just arrived and he has only met us. We don't need to worry him or anything, and right now he is wondering how you heard what we said. Perhaps you want to explain.”

Logan is smiling slightly and he turns to me as we start walking with Charles leading the way down the hall. “Part of my mutation gives me enhanced senses, reflexes, and strength so I was curious and focused my hearing and listened in to your conversation. Don't worry, I don't listen in to people all the time, just when I don't know them and they are with the Professor.” I find myself looking at Logan and feel my curiosity rising about what else he can do, but I also feel a little worried about privacy. He probably could tell I was feeling worried and he made sure to reassure me as best he could and explain why he listened.

“I understand yeah, I think it’s just going to take a bit to get used to being around this many people that have different abilities. Back at the tower, I'm one of the only ones who really is different in some physical or genetic way that makes us a little more than human. Everyone else is just talented or smart.” I don't know why, but I feel a little sad thinking about how I don't really fit into the world, and it’s not just because I was frozen for so long. I don't really fit in because I'm a little more than human. 

Charles must be able to understand what I am feeling, since he seems to try to reassure me right away. “You don't have to worry about that Steve, because even though you are not a mutant like all of us here, you are not human like the rest of the world. You are more like us here then any of them will ever be, and for that you are always going to be welcome here.”

“Thank you Charles for being welcoming, I know that there are probably some mutants that will disagree with you, but I am still grateful.” Is my response as I smile to Charles who just nods to me smiling in return as he continues to roll along. 

This really is a big building, and I realize it might take me a little bit to really know my way around here without getting lost. We have been down several hallways to get to an elevator, going up a floor and coming out into another hall almost identical as the others we had been through on the floor below. We continue walking when suddenly Charles stops moving and is quickly turning to face us, but he is only looking at Logan. 

“Logan, will you take Steve the rest of the way to his room? Erik is coming this way and I need to speak with him about some things right now.” From his tone, he sounds somewhat afraid and that is making me nervous, and Logan grabbing my arm suddenly and basically dragging me along behind him as he pulls me away from Charles who doesn’t move isn’t helping. Just makes me more nervous and on edge.

Logan leads me quickly down the hall, making a few turns before he stops outside one of the doors and opens is, almost throwing me inside. He shuts the door quickly behind him after he has entered and is standing at the door in a way that makes me think he is listening for anything on the other side coming towards us. The way that he and Charles started acting has been making me feel uncomfortable, and I can't help my instinct to reach into my bag and pull out my shield and placing it on my arm. 

Logan must have heard me because he turns around, and suddenly is looking a mix of confused, angry and annoyed. “Where the hell did that come from? Wherever it came from put it back and why in the world did you bring it in the first place?” 

I'm not really sure about what is going on or why he is upset that I have my shield since he and Charles made me nervous that there was some threat. “It’s my shield and I have it because I don't like to go somewhere without the means to protect myself, makes me feel more comfortable. And I got it out because Charles made it seem like if you didn’t get me out of there that instant I would be attacked and you aren’t doing anything to make me think otherwise.”

Logan lets out a sigh and moves away from the door. “You remember what the Professor said about me not being the one you really needed to worry about?”

I'm confused for a moment but I nod and lower my shield which seems to make Logan relax a little more. “Yeah I remember what he said, that there was someone here who was protective like you, but a little less likely to wait for an explanation before acting in defense of someone he cares about.” 

Logan nods to me and speaks quickly. “Yes, and the Professor also said that he didn’t want the two of you to meet until he had the chance to talk with him, and make sure he understood what was going on and why you were here. The man he was talking about is Erik, and we rushed you away because the Professor felt Erik moving towards us and wasn’t ready for the two of you to meet just yet.” 

It takes me a few minutes before I lower my shield all the way and put it back in its bag, and Logan seems to relax a little more now the the shield isn’t out. I don't think that Logan was nervous that I had some sort of means to attack and defend myself, but there is something about my shield that put him on edge and I don't know what it is, since the shield by itself isn't very frighting looking. “So this, Erik, might have attacked me since he doesn’t know me, and me being a stranger and also not a mutant next to Charles could have been seen as a threat.”

This sounds a little ridiculous to me, but in the few minutes I have known Logan and Charles, I do trust them. “There is more to it than that, but yeah basically. Now there is no way to know for sure that Erik would have attacked you, but the Professor didn’t want to leave it up to a coin toss on how Erik would react. He isn't always the most predictable of people.” Logan looks like he is about to say more, but he freezes where he is, standing completely still before turning to face away from me, putting himself between me and the door that suddenly flies open to reveal the outline of a man standing in the doorway and immediately I know that it isn’t Charles. Based on Logan’s posture and him standing between me and the man, it must be Erik in the doorway.


	2. Emotions Should Not Be In Control

Charles’ POV  
This is bad, but I am thankful that I was keeping my mind open and was able to feel Erik approaching before it was too late for Logan to get Steve away. I'm just hoping that the sudden departure of Logan won’t strike Erik as odd, and I hope that Steve doesn’t have any metal on him that can attract Eriks attention. I do not know exactly how that will end if he does, but I know that it will not have the best of endings.

It only take a few seconds before I feel Eriks mind much closer, and almost immediately after that I feel my chair moving on its own as Erik pulls it closer to himself. Trying to calm myself and quiet my mind, I project to Logan that I am with Erik now, and that I need him to keep Steve in the room until I send the message that it is all clear. As soon as I feel the chair stop moving I try to make my face as neutral as possible, Erik knows me too well he will be able to read me and know if anything is wrong.

“Erik, I thought you were out in the gardens fixing the boundary fences and looking at the greenhouse to make sure it was safe for the children to go in.” I try to sound as calm as possible, and I think that he buys it for the moment. 

He smiles at me, all his teeth bared in an almost threatening way, but I know him well enough to know he doesn’t normally smile when he is threatening someone, or at least not like this. While he will bare his teeth like he is now, his eyes would normally be colder if he was going to threaten someone to make it much more terrifying and shark like, his eyes would not be sparking slightly like they are now. His eyes make all the difference, and I know that he isn’t threatening me, he is simply pleased to see me and if I wasn’t so worried, I would be very pleased to see him as well.

“Well Charles, I finished with the fences early this morning and was looking over the greenhouse when I felt a metal I've never felt before. It was strange, like the metal on Logan’s skeleton but not quite the same, and it was moving fast on more metal that was formed into a motorcycle. Logan was near, I could feel him, but he was standing in one place so he wasn’t the one that was on the motorcycle.” 

I try to remain calm, but I should have known that he would have felt the motorcycle coming onto the property, and having Logan wait to meet it wasn’t the smartest idea since Logan is like a walking beacon to Erik. “Well Erik, we have someone that has come to see the school and he has come to get help from me on some personal issues.”

Immediately his smiles fades and his face becomes blank and his sharp features make him look more dangerous, his once twinkling eyes now have hardened into ice. I don't even need to be a telepath to know that Erik is sending out his senses and looking for any metal that he doesn’t know, or for Logan who he knew was with me moments ago. I should have known that when trying to hide something from Erik, Logan was definitely not the best choice for an assistant. I immediately grab his hand and try to make him look at me, and focus on me in the moment to stop looking for the metal he felt earlier. 

“That’s the metal I felt earlier, whoever is here that different metal I felt on the motorcycle belongs to them. Is he a mutant Charles?” Erik is looking a little more calm and relaxed than I thought he would have, but I know that I can't lie to him about anything, even if it just isn’t me telling the whole truth at that moment. 

“No Erik, he um, well, he is not a mutant. But, he also isn’t fully human.” I rush to say when I see his face beginning to cloud with anger and suspicion. I need to try and keep Erik calm, make him know that there is no threat to us, but Steve not being a mutant is going to make it a bit harder, especially since I didn’t tell Erik about a guest coming. He will think that I don't trust him as much as I do Logan with things like this, since he knows Logan is involved, and that will not be good.

“What do you mean, he isn’t a mutant, but he also isn’t fully human? Who and what is he Charles.” I try to hide my nerves when Erik speaks, but I can tell I'm not completely successful by the look he is giving me. He knows that I knew a guest was coming to the school, and that I didn’t tell him about them but I did tell Logan, and that hurts him.

I sigh and take a breath before answering. “His name is Steve Rogers, he works for the U.S. Government, he is also known as Captain America. He is the man that fought in the Second World War and was frozen before he was brought back. He is now one of the team the humans refer to as the Avengers.”

Erik freezes immediately and after a few seconds he lets out what I think is a growl and I am starting to think again, that this really might not go well. “You brought, Steve Rogers the science experiment, here.” He spits out like the name he speaks is the worst curse one can utter, and his face has contorted into one of pure disgust and anger before it returns to the mostly blank look of cold fury.

“Erik, please stay calm and think, don’t simply react. He is here, because he needs help and no one else was able to help him. He came to me for help and I am going to help him, even if he was completely human I would still help him and you know that.” Erik is staring at me unblinking, and I can't read his face, but I will not, use my gift to look into his mind. I promised him I would not go into his mind or control him without his permission, and it is a promise that I am going to stick by. 

Erik is watching me still, and he takes a breath and I understand that he is trying to stay calm but something seems to be bothering him. “You say he is here for help, but I feel the strange metal and I know enough to know it is strong, it can be dangerous and he is holding it ready to use it in a fight. I feel an edge to it, a sharp edge that can be used as a weapon. And he is with Logan. I can feel the metal in him as well and his claws are ready to come out, he is tense and ready for a fight. Why is Logan ready to protect someone, a human experiment, that he has just met? Protect him from me is what he is no doubt thinking.”

“Logan is only protecting him because I asked him to Erik, you know how he is and you know that if Steve posed a threat he would immediately do what he needed to make sure that the children were safe. You need to meet Steve before you make any judgments about him, you don't know him.”

Erik lets out another growl and I feel the chair under me shake slightly as his anger starts to break through his control, making his abilities begin to present itself. “I know enough about him, the hero that fought in the Second World War, saved so many lives did so many great things to bring peace. Where was this hero when I was being experimented on in the camps, when my mother was shot because I couldn’t move the little coin even a little bit. Everyone suffered in those camps, some of us much more than others did, and he was being paraded around like a great success and a hero. A symbol, used to show the world how great they were and how much they were doing to stop the evil, that was happening in my homeland when he still did not do everything he could have, to save those like me, rotting away in the camps watching those around us and our family die from starvation, or just being shot.”

My chair is shaking much more now, and there is a slight rattle as various bits of metal within about five feet around us start to shake as well. If Logan really is standing tense and at the ready to fight Erik, then he is listening in and can hear what we are saying, and he can definitely hear the rattling of the metal around us. “Erik please calm down, let’s go back to my office or to my room, we can talk and play a game of chess, then later on you can meet Steve once you are calm.”

All the rattling suddenly stops and for a moment I am hopeful, but one look at Eriks face and I immediately know to think otherwise. “Are you siding with him, over me? You think that I'm a monster like Shaw, and will hurt him for no reason? That I am an animal that will attack without thinking and without reason? No, I think I'll meet him now. I can feel him and Logan in a room down the hall, their metal stands out even more than the rest of the metal in the world, both are unique and strong, different from all other metal in the world, which makes them both easy for me to track and distinguish. They stand out like candles one the darkest of nights.”

With that Erik is moving quickly away for me, but he pushed my chair backwards and away from where Logan and Steve are, so by the time I have turned around and am steady again, Erik has already made his way down the hall. From the sudden feeling of alarm projected by Logan to me, Erik has already opened the door and the confrontation is about to start. I know that I have made a grave mistake in not telling Erik about Steve coming here, and about sending Steve off with Logan as soon as I felt Erik approaching. I only hope that Erik will not feel threatened by Steve, and that Steve does not try to attack him without finding out what is going on first. Erik will not take that well. 

Erik’s POV  
I feel the new metal pulling at me, guiding me to where it is along with the familiar feeling of Logans metal. As I open the door I take a breath and reign in my emotions, doing my best to calm down while looking in and taking in the room. Logan is standing facing me and from his stance I know he is ready to launch himself at me if he needs to, but I can also see the silhouette of the man, Steve, behind him. Of course Logan has placed himself between me and Steve, Charles asked him to look after him no doubt and knows that Logan will take that seriously and will do what he can to protect the man. Logan also knows how I feel about humans, and no doubt believes I will attack without thinking just like Charles did. As a result of that, I pull myself together more, I will prove them wrong. 

The man behind Logan is holding what looks to be a shield painted with the colors and star of the American flag and I feel the metal and know that the shield is what I felt earlier. That is the metal I didn’t know, different and unique like Logan’s, but strong and distinctive and Steve is holding it up like he is ready to throw it at me. This makes me pause and smile to myself, he obviously does not know who I am, and he was not told what my abilities are. He does not know how his shield, which is normally his special weapon that always helps him, will be of no use against me. Of course neither will Logan. 

They both stare at me and I feel the metal of Logan’s claws move slightly as he is ready to jump at a moments notice. Not that it will do much for him, but I do have to admire the loyalty he has to be ready to protect someone he has just met against someone he knows he will have a hard time defeating. He knows that he will not be able to defeat me without help, since the weapon that he was turned into with the metal is useless against me. One thought and he will be frozen in air, completely helpless. 

“Erik. Is there something I can help you with or did you maybe just go into the wrong room while looking for yours or the Professors. It does happen all the time for the new students and for visiting parents and family. You have not been here too long so it would make sense if you got lost a few times along the way, no ones judging you for it, but since this isn’t your room you should just move on.” Logan says with a slight growl to his voice and this makes Steve tense and raise his shield up more slightly.

“I heard we had a guest and wanted to meet him Logan, found his shield to be quite interesting as well just like you are Logan. It is very different and easy to locate and keep track of no matter what is in the way or nearby, it stands out from what’s around. You can relax Logan, I am not going to attack him simply for being here, even if I do not trust him and he is human.” Human, the word I spit out like poison makes Steve flinch slightly where he is standing partially concealed by Logan. After this he steps out from behind Logan and he faces me despite Logan trying to keep Steve hidden behind him. 

“I'm sorry, I'm not really sure what is going on right now between the two of you, but I am not here with the intention of causing any problems or anything like that. Erik is it? My name is Steve Rogers, I’m…”

He starts and I turn slightly to face him frowning and cut him off sharply, my features sharp and cold causing him to flinch slightly again and raise his shield up once more. “I know who you are. Steve Rogers, America’s hero of the Second World War who saved so many lives with his heroic actions and was such an inspiration. Well, you didn’t save everyone, and some faced a fate much worse than death. You may not be here to cause any problems, but you may not have thought that you being here, could cause problems even if you didn’t intend on it.”

My tone is cold and sharp, and I can tell that my words are a shock to Steve, but he is also seeing the truth in what I am saying and is not sure how he is feeling or what to think. Logan seems to have relaxed slightly, knowing that I am not going to just attack and that I am trying to remain calm and speak my mind. He is still ready though, the metal of his claws still moving slightly and ready to come out to attack me. Not that it will do much good and he knows it, but I still admire what he is prepared to do even knowing it will likely fail. I feel the metal of Charles’ chair approaching behind me, and I am pretty sure he is surprised that by what he is seeing and that I am not being physical in any way yet. 

“I am sorry that I didn’t not think that my presence could cause problems, I am not sure what about my presence could cause problems but it was really not my intention. The reason that I am here, is because I don't know how to deal with some things, and a friend of mine finally got tired of seeing me as I was and forced me to come here, because she thought that if anyone could help me, it would be Charles.”

His response makes my blood begin to boil and I feel my temper rising more when he refers to my love in such a familiar way when they have only just met and he has absolutely no right to do so. He has no right to speak Charles’ name so casually, throwing it around like it is nothing special, when everything about my love is more special and superior to the human science experiment. Charles must know what I am thinking because he immediately places a hand on my arm in an attempt to ground me and help keep my anger in check. 

Charles voice is soft and calm, peaceful even if there is a hint of panic and worry hidden deep down where most wouldn’t be able to detect it. I can. I know him, and he knows me. There is not much we can hide from each other. “Erik, please remain calm. Mr. Rogers here does not mean any harm, and you know that what happened to you is not his fault. He is not here to cause any problems or harm me or any of the students. Mr. Rogers is here, because a friend of his, told him to come here for help and that friend knew of us because they know and are friends with Raven. You know Raven Erik, and you trust her. You know Raven wouldn’t have done anything to put any of us or the children in danger, she never would have told anyone untrustworthy about us or this place. You know this Erik. Please.”

There is silence in the room only broken by the sound of students moving around to their various classes and calling out to each other in the hallways below us. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife, and the various pieces of metal around the room vibrate slightly then stops, Steve being the only one to not have noticed the vibrating metal. For a super soldier that has been enhanced by some chemical formula, he seems to be surprisingly unobservant when he is confused or unsure. I know many others that never would have made the same mistake that he did, they would have noticed even the slightest change to the room, especially if they could tell how I was feeling. They know what I can do, what I am capable of, and even if Steve does not, he should know to stay on guard since they obviously warned him to some degree about me and what I was like.

I can feel Charles’ grip tighten on my arm to keep me grounded, his mind brushing mine slightly to remind me that he is here, that he will not leave me alone. I try to remain calm knowing that Raven wouldn’t do anything to put any of us in danger and that she must trust this man, but I know that I am not able to, not yet. She may trust him, but I need more time before I can trust him so easily and completely.

It will be some time before I can trust this man, and it won’t be easy for him to prove he is not a threat and that he means no harm to any of the children here, or to Charles. These mutants here are my family, my children, my brothers and sisters. While I am here, I will not let anything happen to them even if it is at the cost of my own life, they will remain safe, happy, and able to live their lives. I’m breathing hard trying to calm down and hold my anger back while evening out my breathing, but it is not easy.

There is too much in my head right now, the memories of what was done to me, my mothers death that I could not prevent, all the suffering that surrounded me for so long with no hope in sight. Too much for most to deal with, almost too much for me to deal with but I'm different, I'm special. I was only a child when it all happened and I became hardened, closed off, careful and cautious on who to trust and questioned everything and everyone. Trusted almost no one, kept myself closed off and all the pain buried deep inside where it could not get out other than when I could not hold it down any longer.

When too much happened that brought the pain right back to the surface, it was as painful and fresh as it was when it first happened, magnified by the pain that came after. The death of my mother, the pain I suffered through, the death or betrayal of my friends, the lives I took in search of justice, then the destruction of a peaceful life I had built with a wife and daughter when they were ripped from me. Too much for most, too much for me, but only when it’s brought to the surface.

The tense and silent moment is broken by Steve. “I do not know what happened to you, and I know that there are some people that I was not able to save and that will be stuck with me forever. But I really am here, just because I need help. I do not want to cause any problems for anyone, and I don't even really want to fight anyone unless I really have to. I've fought more than most people have, I’ve been fighting most of my life, and there are times when you just want there to be some peace. So I'm sorry for whatever it is that was done to you, to make you not trust someone you’ve just met, like you don't trust me. I'm sorry.”

There is an even more strained silence and Charles tightens his grip on my wrist and Logan’s claws move towards his knuckles which I immediately stop. From the look on Logan’s face, he must not have realized what he was doing, but he doesn’t look sorry for it either. I do not blame him for this, but I still keep hold of his claws and the rest of the metal in him, keeping him stuck where he is. If he leaps towards me now trying to defend the human while I am struggling to keep my anger in check, I will cause more damage than I intend to. Especially since Charles is sitting next to me, and a lunge towards me will also be towards my love, and all I will think to do is whatever it takes to ensure his safety.

“Erik please. Let us walk around the grounds and talk. I will explain everything, and I know I should have told you that he was coming before he did and it was wrong of me not to trust you to remain in control of yourself. I underestimated you and I see that now Erik, and I know there is nothing I can say to make you forgive me right now. Please Erik, let Logan go and we will go for a walk away from the students. We do not need to give them more reason to be nervous around you, they already fear what would happen if they crossed or upset you.”

This makes me look down to Charles and I can tell that he knows he got through to me, that the well-being of the children I am here to help and protect will help keep me in control. They do not need to be in pain, afraid or alone like I was at their age. They have the chance of a life that is as normal as any like us can have at this time, and there is nothing I will do to harm them, unless they go against me first. Even then, I would rather not have to harm them in any way, but do know that there is the chance that one day it must happen. The older of the children here know they do not need to fear me because of my past, but the younger ones or those that are new here do not understand that yet.

Which has come in handy from time to time when students get into some trouble or pull some prank on another student or on one of the teachers here. Most of the older students or the ones that have been here for longer will think twice before pulling something knowing that I am here, but there are those that decide to still cause trouble. When they are caught, they are brought to Charles to be talked with if it was more serious, and to Storm, Logan or Hank if it was not as serious of a prank.

Charles will normally talk with them and make sure they understand what they did wrong and why it could have been worse, then assign them some task that they must to in order to make up for what they did. With the others, it has become common for them to threaten the students with sending them to me, for me to decide what their punishment should be. After the first few punishments at my hand, nothing very serious in any sense mainly some sort of physical labor with no abilities allowed, pranks and disturbances stopped almost altogether.

With a glare aimed towards Steve, I pull my powers back and release my hold on Logans body and see him visibly relax before I look down to Charles. “Fine, but do not think that I have forgiven you so easily for keeping this from me, then trying to hide him from me. I know that you thought I would attack him for no reason other than the fact that he was not known to me and that he is human. It seems that the children who you claim are already afraid of me, have more faith in my control over my emotions and abilities than you do.”

With that I turn and stride quickly through the door and head straight for an open window which I climb out of and lower myself to the ground before heading off towards a far and mostly isolated and unvisited corner of the grounds. As I'm moving away, I send out my senses and feel that Logan, Charles and Steve are all still standing in the room as I left them. With that knowledge and knowing I need to be alone until I have reigned in my emotions, I feel for my helmet where it is in my room and pull it to me carefully, so as not to break anything if it can be helped. 

As I slip the helmet over my head, I notice the tension that leaves my body once I know that my thoughts are safe from Charles and any of the other telepaths at the school or in the area around the grounds. I don't like it when people are in my head.


	3. Something's to Explain

Logan’s POV  
Part of me feels bad for thinking that Erik would just attack Steve without any real effort to learn about him first, but I can't say that I was wrong to judge him like that. It’s not like we have had the best interactions in the past, even if there was always a reason for him to be fighting against me. But with the interaction that just happened, I'm feeling a little bad about having thought I would need to protect Steve from him. I know that I would not have been able to do much other than give Steve some time to get away from Erik or launch some sort of attack, as long as he didn’t try to use his shield. But, we also didn’t tell Steve what Erik’s ability was, so he wouldn’t know not to attack Erik with his shield.

The Professor definitely didn’t think that Erik and Steve would get along, the Professor thought that Steve would need to be protected and kept away from Erik. Steve just looks like he is confused and isn’t completely sure what just happened or how he should react or act in this moment. The Professor, he looks like he is a little kid that was just scolded by the person he cared about or looked up to the most. Given his history, relationship and connection with Erik that does make sense, and the worst thing is that I know Steve is the reason for this divide, and the Professor does not know what to do, to try and fix this. 

Things are going to be somewhat tense and awkward between us three and Erik for some time, but I think that it won’t be awkward between Erik and I for long. We may not be close friends or whatever, but we do respect each other for different reasons. We both know that the other can fight well and has skill, and we each will fight for the people we care about. 

With Steve, things may be awkward for some time until Erik feels like he can actually trust Steve and knows that he is not here to cause any problems for us or the kids. I can tell that Steve is a good person and from what the Professor told me it was Raven who recommend a friend of Steves that he should come here. I know that Erik trusts her above almost anyone, and that he knows she cares about the students who live here and have no where else really to go. Erik knows that is Raven trusts Steve to know about us and to be here with the kids, Steve is a good person and one that can be trusted. It will just take a little longer before Erik is willing to give Steve the benefit of the doubt and trust him as well.

The Professor, he will probably be able to gain Erik’s forgiveness almost immediately, but only if he is able to forgive himself first and tell Erik why he did what he did right off the bat. The longer it takes for him to explain himself and admit that he was in the wrong, the longer they are going to have an awkward and unfriendly relationship. And that won’t be good for them, or for anyone really that might have some interaction with either of them in the time it takes them to make up.

We are all standing in silence before Steve puts his shield down and clears his throat somewhat quietly before he speaks. “Can someone please tell me what just happened? I am really confused by what just happened between the two of you and that Erik man, and then what his problem with me was.”

The Professor is still looking at the ground and I realize that I have to try to explain things, since he is not ready to say anything. “Well basically, Erik and the Professor are close, and Erik has some issues and a lot of anger because of what happened to him as a child and later on in life mainly because of humans. We thought that Erik would see you as a threat and not think before attacking you, so we tried to hide you from him but forgot that he would be able to track me and then you had your shield so that didn’t work. Seriously, what is with you and that shield? Why would you bring that here I mean it isn’t like you are going to need it to protect yourself while you are here. I mean, none of us are going to all out attack you for no reason, even with Erik as we just learned he won’t attack you for no reason at all. And you obviously didn’t even know about Erik because if you did you wouldn’t have been stupid enough to bring your shield with you here.”

I know that I'm trying to explain things, but I'm pretty sure that I am just confusing Steve more when trying to explain. “Alright so basically, this Erik and Charles are close, and Charles thought that Erik would attack me because he might see me as a threat. Erik has had a bad life because of humans, and somehow he was able to track you and there was something about my shield that also attracted him. That part makes no sense to me, how can he track you and what does my shield have to do with it? There isn’t anything special about it other than the metal that it is made out of since it is really rare and very strong. And why wouldn’t I have brought my shield with me here? I almost always have it with me, I have had it for a long time after all and it is kind of part of me in a way I suppose.”

While I'm trying to think of how to explain this to him better, I feel the Professor brush my mind and he tells me that he will explain so I stay quiet. After a moment of strange silence the Professor takes a breath and looks up from the floor. I am startled by how sad and defeated he looks, and I just start to realize now that what just happened took more to of him and made him feel a lot worse than I thought he did. 

“While Logan tried to explain, I feel he left you with more questions than answers so I will try to clarify what he said. Erik and I are good friends, and we are very close for a few different reasons. Erik has been through a lot, and it started when he was a child. Now the story is not mine to tell, but all I will say is that he is German born and lived there for a good deal of his life, and during the second world war he was a child.”

Steve makes a sound that I can't really place, and the Professor pause for a moment before reaching out to me and asking me to get some water for Steve. I let out a huff before I moved towards the little fridge I know is in the corner and grab out a bottle of water, then make my way back to Steve and hand him the water. He looks at me a little confused, but I can tell that he is also grateful for the water. 

After some more silence, the Professor continues. “Now while there is not a lot more I can tell you, as like I said it is not my story to tell, I will explain why your shield has been brought up and how Erik is able to track Logan. Logan was experimented on by humans, and his entire skeleton was coated in a metal called admantium. Erik’s mutation allows him to generate and manipulate magnetic fields so basically, he is able to sense and manipulate any metal into any shape or form he wants.”

Steve looks at me in surprise and I think also in horror before he looks to the Professor and speaks. “So Erik is able to sense the metal on Logan’s skeleton and also the metal of my shield which stood out to him because it is different and unique. Also, if that had turned into a fight my shield would have been useless against him.”

He sounds a little worried about that thought and I do get it. After all, my entire body can be manipulated however Erik wants like his own personal puppet and there isn’t a thing that I can do to stop him or resist. The Professor just nods to Steve in response and we sit in silence for a little, the sounds of the kids moving around below us as they head to their different classes keeping me in the moment. 

“It was a mistake me coming here, I've been here for only an hour and I've already messed things up between you guys and Erik.” Steve’s voice is even but sad, and before I can do or say anything the Professor has wheeled forward and is holding Steves hand. 

“No Steve, this is not on you this is all on me. Erik was right, I underestimated him and his ability to trust and control his anger. This is on me. Erik will come around especially since it was Raven who recommended that you come here for help, and there is no one other than me that Erik trust more. Well, when I'm not underestimating him that is. This has been a lot to happen especially since you have already been through a lot in the past few months, so I think that it would be best for me to show you to your room. Logan, please do what you can to keep the children in the school or in the front gardens. While Erik will not harm any of the children, if would be best to ensure he be left alone until he is ready to return.”

I nod to the Professor and project to him that I understand and that this isn’t his fault before turning and leaving to keep an eye on the kids.


End file.
